The annual KIHA Members meeting was held in the historic Stone Church on Sunday August 10, 2025. Board Members in attendance were, Carmen Smith, Chad Waffen, Theresa Behrends, Jackie Polofka, Lisa Lotito, and Donna Algase.
Newly elected board member, Donna Algase was recognized and thanked for her secretarial services to the Board. Michael Beatty was re-elected but was not in attendance.
Exiting President Carmen Smith gave the following comments.
“Hello, and welcome to the members meeting for the Kelleys Island Historical Association, 2025. I am Carmen Smith, the Collections Manager since 2022 and board president this past year.
It is a challenge to run a non-profit organization on Kelleys Island. The advent of internet meetings has made it infinitely easier to get a quorum, but numbers are not all we need on our board; we need active members willing to give us a little of their time!
Our board members are active, each with their own role and responsibilities. Once a month, in May through October we have a meeting and share what we have been doing and give opinions and help to the other members of the board. This has been accompanied by donuts and laughter for most months! If you are retired and think your knowledge from your field of work may contribute, please join the board! If you have never held a job but think your can-do attitude could help, please, join the board!
Organizations go through so many phases, and with COVID shutting down everything, we stumbled through a phase of stagnation. We are picking back up, finding momentum through the necessity of projects and through new members.
I want to thank Lisa Lotito for picking up the fund-raising efforts this year. She has many amazing ideas and is so organized!
Chad Waffen has been continuing with the Brick Donations, putting those orders in and installing the bricks as they arrive. Michael Beatty has been helping us to keep our website updated. Janet Killam works many hours at the Parsonage House. Terri Betzenheimer-Behrends has made us a gorgeous quilt as a raffle fundraiser, her last one so make sure you get tickets! She has been the caretaker for the landscaping around the buildings for many years!
Donna Algase has been an amazing secretary the last year, faithfully recording our meetings! Jeri Yoest gave us her time on the board this year while she could but is now working behind the scenes helping me to archive documents important to our functional history.
These are the people who have determinedly kept this board chugging along over the last year and beyond. (A round of applause please).”
Carmen added more comments as president, by asking for volunteers and giving the benefits of volunteering.
“Volunteering has long been proven to be beneficial to your health. The Mayo Clinic cites improvement in mental and physical health, providing a sense of purpose, new skills, and nurturing social relationships as the most important benefits of volunteering. As people age
into retirement, or just less work, they often find themselves trying to fill their days. Volunteering is highly recommended.” Carmen continued with an invitation to all to try volunteering for the KIHA !
Carmen spoke of the amazing paid managers at the Museum Gift Shop, Justiina Loveless, and at the Resale shop, Sonia Taylor and Jodie Smith. Standardization of processes and operations has been a focus and could not have been moved forward without these women! (a round of applause please).
The managerial position at The Parsonage House is open as a paid position for the 2026 season and is currently open to applicants. If you know anyone interested in a job, 20-30 hours per week, May through October, please refer them to our FB or Website or contact Jodie Smith 419-350-1082.
The KIHA Annual Members Meeting was completed with the reading of the initial purpose of the Association.
- Purpose – The purpose of this association shall be to bring together those people interested in history, and especially the history of Kelleys Island, and to promote the importance of preserving Kelleys Island History.
- Objectives
a. To restore and maintain the German Reform Church building on Division Street
b. To build and maintain a museum on the site of the “Haul Shed” church property.
c. To collect and display items of historical value indigenous to Kelleys Island and the Western Lake Erie Area.
d. To maintain the building north of the church known as The Parsonage.
Closing remarks as resigning President of the board.
“As president, I hope I have demonstrated firm and forward moving direction. I am stepping down and sad to say that I cannot continue in this capacity. I hope to stay on as Collections Manager, a job I have been doing for several years.
I encourage the next president to refocus on what we were intended to do. We are here to support the collection and maintain the buildings. The other fun things we have set up are to support our MAIN purpose. If we are taking care of our functions as an association, and these other things supporting and bringing visitors are presented in the most professional way possible, then our original focus will progress with great results!
Thank you to the board for lending your support to my presidency in the last year.”
The meeting was adjourned, with a reminder that the Board positions of President and vice president are open and will be decided up on at the next monthly meeting.
